Pierce
by Tyoushiro
Summary: If Yamato had gotten his ear pierced, this is how he would've gone about it. Taichi POV. One shot. Slightly Taito-ish.


AN: IDK why, but it feels like Yamato /should/ have a pierced ear. He's a rockstar, dammit.

PIERCE

It's not unusual for Yamato to invite you over to his apartment after school, especially on a Saturday after morning classes have ended. He usually tells you it's because he's got too much food left over in the fridge, but you figure it's because he's kinda lonely and too proud to admit it.

This time it's different. There's a first aid kit and a sewing kit on the table, and Yamato has that glint in his eyes that most people would mistake for determination.

All you know is there is no talking Yamato down when he has that look in his eye. Maybe Gabumon would stand a chance, but you?

... not likely.

"Did you hurt yourself sewing or something?"

There's a tremor in your voice when you ask the question, because you sort of suspect that the answer is 'no.'

"I want to have my ear pierced."

You blink rapidly because it feels like the conversation has skipped a few important steps. What does a sewing kit and ear piercing have in common?

"That's... cool?"

Yamato's got that irritable look on his face that makes you suspect that he's calling you 'stupid' in his head.

"You'll help me out, right?"

Are you on candid camera?

Maybe... maybe you misheard? Or misunderstood...?

"This... is a joke, right?"

Only... Yamato doesn't look amused at all. He's completely, one-hundred-percent seriously *crazy*. Has to be.

Why else would he ask *you* to pierce his ear?

"I tried asking Take," Yamato explains with a frown, "but he doesn't like needles."

"What makes you think I *do*?!"

At least your outburst seems to make Yamato reconsider his request. He bites his bottom lip and has the decency to look somewhat apologetic.

"Oh? So you... don't like needles, either...?"

It's not that you don't like needles. What you don't like is how comfortable Yamato is with the thought of *you* using one to pierce his ear *at home*.

You're not a professional ear-piercer. What if it's not positioned right? What if you hit a nerve or a blood vessel? What if it gets infected?

"Why... why can't you just go to a professional? Like, at the mall?"

"Those places require the consent of a parent or guardian." Yamato replies quietly.

"So... your dad doesn't approve?"

"He doesn't care. He's just... never home." Yamato mumbles.

"What about your mom?"

The look he gives you is withering.

"She thinks I'm a delinquent *now*. You really think she'd approve me getting a piercing?"

"Guess not, huh?"

Yamato sighs in disgust and sits down on one of the kitchen chairs. He looks so disappointed, so upset...

It's not like he ever asks you for anything, either, and that just makes you feel worse.

Damn it.

"Fine. I'll do it."

Yamato turns to you, and he looks so happy that for a moment you're reminded of Takeru.

"Just... don't get mad if I screw it up. I've never done this before."

"You're the best!" Yamato exclaims as he opens the first aid kit and removes alcohol wipes.

Then he opens the sewing kit and removes one of the needles.

"So... how do we do this?"

"Take this needle, put it through my ear, and then put in this earring." Yamato informs you as he picks up the sewing needle, points it at his left ear and then at a small round stud earring laying innocuously on the table.

"That's fine, but when Hikari got her ears pierced, they used this little rectangular piercing gun. Y'know, to stop the needle from going into your neck?"

Did he not think of that? You think maybe not, because Yamato gets up and heads to the freezer.

"Maybe... use an ice cube?" he suggests. "Like, hold it behind my ear?"

It's better than nothing, and if anything, it might help to dull the pain.

At least, that's what you hope.

Yamato puts the ice tray on the table, and you stare at it nervously.

"Where... do you want me?"

You swallow thickly around the lump in your throat, because you can think of a few responses to that question.

"S-sit here."

He's very obedient when he's getting something he wants, you think to yourself as you extract one of the ice cubes from the tray and set it aside.

It's hard to ignore the weight of his gaze as you open one of the alcohol wipes and use it to sterilize a sewing needle.

Then you realize that you're going to have to touch Yamato.

"Which ear?"

"The right...?" Even as Yamato says it, he tucks his hair behind his ear.

"Okay. I'm... gonna put the ice behind your ear."

"U-un."

Even though you've warned him, Yamato still gasps when you press the ice between his earlobe and neck.

"You're sure about this?" You ask as you position the point of the needle against what you judge to be the center of the lobe.

He nods and closes his eyes.

"Need a count down?"

Teeth worry his bottom lip again. "N-no...?"

The word is barely past his lips before you brace yourself and punch the needle through his ear.

Yamato yelps and you realize that there's a fine line of blood trickling down his ear.

It shouldn't surprise you, but it does.

Probably because Hikari's ears didn't bleed when your mom took her to get her ears pierced at the mall...

"Er... y-you okay?"

Yamato whimpers in response, and you're not sure what to do. The ice is melting and mixing with the blood on his ear, and it's dripping to stain the collar of his shirt.

"Y-yeah." He takes in a deep, shuddery breath. "P-put the earring in."

It means taking the needle out of his ear, which is considerably easier than when you put it in.

You lay the slightly bloody instrument on the used alcohol wipe, then open a new one.

"Just in case." You mutter under your breath before using the wipe to swab the front and back of Yamato's ear.

"*Shit*!" Yamato curses, and his hands are gripping his knees so tightly that his knuckles are white.

You pick up the stud earring from the table and unfasten the back of it.

"Is this one of Sora's?"

"Why would it be one of hers?"

Takeru is right. Yamato *is* oddly obtuse when it comes to stuff like that.

"Ready?"

"Get it over with."

He looks pale and worn out even before you place the post against the hole you created with the needle. When you try to push the earring into place, he grimaces and groans.

"Want me to stop?"

"No!" Yamato growls between gritted teeth. "Can't you... do it faster?"

You heave a heavy sigh and grasp his ear firmly with your left hand and jam the post through the hole with your right.

He's really crying now, and you carefully push the backing onto the post to keep the stud in place.

"Th-thanks." He mumbles and sniffles before wiping his tears on the back of his arm.

It's cute, this side of Yamato. The side that's spoiled and sensitive, that very few people get to see.

"... no problem."

You go to the sink to wash your hands, and Yamato fidgets with his new earring.

Then the front door opens, and Ishida-san walks in with a giant grin on his face.

"Ready to go to the mall and -" He stops mid-sentence, and you see the blood drain from Ishida-san's face. "What did you *do*?!"

"Uh..."

Ishida-san is looming over Yamato, fingers reaching out to touch the piercing in his right ear.

"What made you think it'd be a good idea to do this yourself?"

"I-I didn't do it myself..."

Shit.

Ishida-san's gaze turns to you and you laugh nervously as you wipe your hands on a towel.

"Taichi, did this *idiot* talk you into doing this?"

"'tousan!"

"Er... I sterilized everything...?"

There's a tsk of Ishida-san's tongue as his hand drops away from Yamato's ear.

"No use getting upset over what's already done, I guess."

Yamato tries to force a small smile on his lips.

"You're... not mad?"

"Oh, no. I'm mad." Ishida-san reassures him. "And if it'd do any good, you'd be grounded right now."

"So... I'm *not* grounded?"

Ishida-san looks over at you.

"Taichi, what do you think your parents will do when I tell them about this?"

"Uh..."

You'll be grounded for all of summer break if you're lucky.

"You can't do that!" Yamato exclaims. "He didn't want to, I made him do it!"

"Then you should treat your friend better." Ishida-san explains calmly as he walks over to the phone.

"Wait, wait!"

Ishida-san picks up the receiver and starts to dial the first three digits of your home phone number.

"I won't have any friends over for a week!"

Ishida-san raises an eyebrow at his son.

"Two weeks...?"

"Three weeks. And if I find out you've gone back on your word, you can forget the scooter."

Yamato pouts, but nods tersely. "Deal."

"Then you're officially grounded, and Taichi, I have to ask you to go home."

"Right... And, uh... sorry, sir."

You wave at Yamato before you scurry out into the hall to put on your shoes.

As you leave, you can't help but think that Yamato looks even cooler with an earring.


End file.
